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Indeed farewell and good luck. I hope you find lots of dinosaur bones, invent something else that's great, or just spend a lot of quality time with a PS2. In fact, my vote goes to that quality time with the PS2 as you've already done more than your fair share to the community and are owed some downtime.

Whatever your choice, the NY StudSquad will be thrilled to see you at any paintball event, and for each event that we don't see you, at least your legacy will be present.

I've used Airgun Designs products for years and plan to use them for many more. It was not until a couple years ago when you sent me an "Official Forum Membership Card" that I learned that you were not just a business man to your customers but a friend as well. Thank you for going that extra step to show us you really cared. My family wishes yours the very best.

Take care and keep in touch, Tracy Whitcomb

P.S. When I called you about the Proto valves you asked me to keep a look out for fossils. My father in law is a bush pilot up here in Alaska. He flies the USGS around sometimes to do their surveys. He only knows of a deposit of plants and small fish. He said they wash down a stream so some are scattered around the banks but up higher in the mountains there is a vein of them. He said he would drop me off in a lake in front of the glacier near it sometime this summer to check it out so stay tuned maybe one of these days I'll have some pictures.

Mr. Kaye, you are a true Icon in this industry. I have respected you and the Automag since 1992 and will continue doing so. After many gun purchases over the years my Automag is the one gun I will never get rid of. I love that gun. I really don't post much in here, but I had to when I saw this. So I just wanted to wish you and yours the best and good luck. You will be missed.

Someone in the PBN AKA forum posted this and I thought it was decent post...

Ok, hadn't been around anything in a while, but I had to stop by P's site to see what was new. I get to FP and see this.

Who the heck canceled Christmas? Cause that's kinda what this feels like.

For those who haven't been around so long (ie a few years ). If you don't remember when AO wasn't owned by AGD, when PBN really was just a new site with a bunch of pathetic newbs, when PBC, WARPIG chat, and IPR raged with the fire... you might not have the same impression of who or what this guy really is/was. That was the internet back a few years ago, and paintball was an entirely different beast, with teeth, blood, and bones, not the molded plastic and machined metal and stupid pink ano like it is now.

I may not be old-school proper, but I've been around a little. I started playing about 6 years ago, actually, I played my first game in 97, but really started "playing" in 98. I dunno, a lot of folks may have forgotten what it was like, but RT's were the freakin raging inferno back then. Imagine a gun so fast that you literally couldn't use it. That's what they made. A gun that was literally not useable because it was too fast. Electros were still plodding around like toddlers back then. Cockers were heavy slugs of crap. Mags weighed 7lbs. Loaders didn't break. Back men might carry 7 pods if they were really slingers. People played in camo, not cause it was cool... that was just what you wore. Probably because where you played, it actually worked. Then all the sudden, out comes this freak of nature that practically anyone could sweet on. I had one a few years back, when the evo 1 wasn't out yet. We hooked it up, pulled the trigger and the whole field stopped.

Tom was one of the few people that actually thought up new things. Powerfeed, constant air/NO2, decent machining, and actual engineering.

I dunno. There are few people who I have this kind of respect for in this game. And it's not like I really like the guy, cause he's always came off kind of odd to me in his posts, but it's just for what he did.

I certainly didn’t think it would end like this but I am the last of a long gone group of paintball founders that are not around any more.

I sure didnt see this coming, and am really sad to see you leaving the industry. You are a true inovator, and whether the new-school players of today realize it or not, the old school will always know this. It is a shame to see what the game and industry has come to, and you sure are right about being the last of a group that has been gone for years, unfortunately. The direction this game has gone, i really cant blame you for leaving. The last of the orriginals is gone.

I wish you luck on your future endeavors, and hope AGD doesnt change to much. Good luck, and Thank you for all you have done. You will always be a King among men in my eyes with all you have done. Im sorry to see you go.

The sport owes you so much Tom, but it has become to greedy to ever admit it.
Your character personifies what paintball meant to me, getting together, telling stories, shooting each other, helping each other out and having an all together good time.
Now paintball has turned into a cut throat business with selfish intentions. The only way you would be able to continue were if you would follow the trend and become a monster yourself.
My admiration goes out to you for throwing in the towel, since you cannot allow yourself to be flushed down toilet as the spirit of the sport has been in recent years. I wish you all the best and thank you for everything you've inspired me to do,
Dan@Triggernomics

It truly is sad to see you go Mr.Kaye, our prayers and best wishes go out to you on this tough decision. I cant seem to grasp that AGD and Tom Kaye wont be synonymous anymore, but good luck in your future endeavors.

I started playing back in the 80's with my Nelspot 007, then moved on to a Bushmaster copy known as a BloodSucker. When the Cocker/Mag wars came about, most of my team went Cocker, as myself and a few others went Mag. Seeing all the know it alls on the team sitting around trying to figure out the timing on their new purchases, while we, the mag few was out playing, will always be a priceless memory, and is still talked about to this day, lol. Of all the markers I have ever owned, I always find myself with some sort of Mag in my hands at the end, Thank You for your ingenious design, and pioneering a great sport with great products. You sincerely will be missed.

Wow. Best of luck to you TK. Ever since I got my first mag a few years back Ive loved it. Hopefully the new managment at AGD produces the same high quality products and has a better ability to get them out there in a package that people want to buy.

Tom,
I learned all the basics of paintball physics from these pages, and I still have my first automag in working condition. I have not been able to part with any of my old mags, even when offered much more than they were worth, and I don't think I ever shall. They are still my favorite markers and they will most likely remain so. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

Wow. I go away for a week and this happens. That's it. I'm never leaving the internet again.

This is truely a sad day for me. I have been a mag user since 1993. I still am. I have 3 of them. Owning a mag is as much about product "honesty" as it is about anything. There is no bull**** with AGD. I always liked that. Hopefully the new era of AGD can continue that legacy.

Tom, I/we are truely sad to see you go, but we will survive. You were one of the true pioneers of the sport. I know you will do great things in any new endeavors you participate in. Go forth and have fun. You earned it.

Except for the Automag in front, its usually the man behind the equipment that counts.

Good luck to you Tom, you will be missed. Man...paintball just isn't what she used to be. I can easily remember starting out playing this game in '93 and where it was, all the way to now and being amazed at how it's changed. I really can't say if I think it's changed for the better or for the worse, but it's changed. Tom, thank you for all you've done for this sport from one dedicated player to another. I appreciate it, and I know others do too. I hope AGD goes forward in the industry, but I guess that will remain to be seen. Good luck with everything you do in the future.

When my Mag was delivered to my house back in 1993 (powerfeed left & wood grips), I couldn't wait to get it out on the field & play. Needless to say, the marker performed above my expectations & really wow'ed the crowd at the field. Since then, its undergone many changes and upgrades, but that 11-12 year old Mag is still the only marker I've ever needed.

I still look forward to purchasing a Tac-One, but my real hope is that someday I'll be able to hand my original marker to my kids & let them take it for a spin. There are no words to express the gratitude that you deserve -

Good luck on your new endeavors. I met you briefly at an event in Chicago (Center flag tournament) a few years ago and you seemed like a really nice guy. Your presence in the industry will be missed. In my opinion you are among the small percentage of "inventors" or manufacturers that actually uses "engineering" when designing new products or proving a theory.

Hopefully in a few years when the industry calms down you'll be back!!

Rocky

BTW: My very first marker was a mini mag (1996) Not quite old school yet .

Kind of interesting... do a google search for "tom kaye" and see what you get.

wow......!!

Florida peeps...step up!!My Feedback
"They do not preach that their God will rouse them a little before the nuts work loose."
-Rudyard Kipling: The Sons of Martha
"To understand the Automag, you have to think like an air molecule."
-Sparky Melber

Tom Kaye...

WILL YOU MARRY ME!?!

Ok but seriously, i love AGD and everything they have done to revolutionize paintball as we know it. AGD is one of the few companies in the industry that doesnt release a product every month, and thats because they take the TIME to design and test each product that they make before releasing it to the public unlike some other companies. Id like to thank you for creating such great guns, no matter how ridiculed i am for liking mags i will always support AGD. Although i do not own a mag as of now, i have had several, and all have served me well. Tom, id also like to wish you good luck in your future. Dont forget, Carpe Diem!; Seize the Day. If you get a chance to do what you want, do it! Good luck with everything and a final adeu. Farewell Tom Kaye!

For many years I have known of the great TOM from AGD. I saw you in magazines and on video but over the past 4 years I have really got to know you and have come to truly respect and admire you and your contributions to paintball over the years and to me and my team.
You will surly be missed but never forgotten , I know every AO’er here agrees with me on that note.
So good luck in all you do and I look forward to seeing you at future Shatnerball games were you know I like the rest of the AO family, will have your back.

Flip
Mayberry Marauders

Victor Miller
Proud Member of
The Mayberry Marauders
www.mayberrymarauders.com
Team StrangeBreed
www.strangebreedpaintball.com
and remember ::::: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, scotch in the other , body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

I got into paintball in a roundabout way, mainly because I thought it would be a fun engineering challenge to design a better marker... then I found out about the mag and realized that the marker I had in mind had already been built

You have an open invitation to take a ride with me and Dawn in our tank if you're ever at event that we have it at. I hope you enjoyed Dawn's write up 'Kaye's Day' in this months issue of Paintball Sports. Sorry I couldn't talk them into printing up the K A Y E or Y M C A pictures.